CHEYENNE, Wyo.– A top official with the U.S. Department of Energy will visit Wyoming next week for a firsthand look at the State's investments in fossil energy technology and the mining industry.
Steven Winberg, Assistant Secretary of Fossil Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has accepted an invitation from Governor Gordon to visit the Cowboy State Aug. 21-23. Winberg and several DOE staff will spend three days touring Wyoming’s energy industry and research facilities. Stops will include the Integrated Test Center, the Wyoming Carbon Storage Assurance and Facility Enterprise’s (CarbonSAFE) project, a coal mine, power plant, and facilities at the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources.
“It is exciting that Assistant Secretary Winberg will be able to spend a significant amount of time in Wyoming,” said Governor Gordon. “As the leading coal-producing state in the country and home to some of the most innovative fossil energy research, I am thrilled to highlight firsthand and on the ground the areas where Wyoming has led the way in energy and forward-looking climate solutions. I look forward to working with DOE to find avenues to move these important technologies towards commercialization.”
The invitation to tour Wyoming was extended by the Governor when the two men met at the Utah Energy Summit in May. The Office of Fossil Energy is the primary lead at DOE for advancing carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies, which Governor Gordon has consistently championed. In 2019, he requested $10 million from the Wyoming State Legislature for matching funds for a pre-combustion pilot project. $5 million was appropriated, with the University of Wyoming leading the RFP process.
